Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yodrum’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yodrum’, characterized by its upright plant habit; dark green-colored foliage; freely and uniformly flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences; attractive dark orange-colored ray florets; response time about 59 days; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yodrum’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yodrum’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create and develop new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable floret coloration and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in March, 1999, in Salinas, Calif. of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number R834, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1092, not patented not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in March, 2000. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable ray floret color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since May, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yodrum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yodrum’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yodrum’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences that are about 6 cm to 7 cm in         diameter.     -   5. Attractive dark orange-colored ray florets.     -   6. Response time about 59 days.     -   7. Strong peduncles.     -   8. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an         interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of         the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more freely flowering         than plants of the female parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of         the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are shorter than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier and more         freely than plants of the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the male parent selection         differ in ray floret color as plants of the male parent         selection have light pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Falma, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,996. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Falma in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier and more         freely than plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had slightly larger         inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Falma.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had shorter peduncles than         plants of the cultivar Falma.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysantheum.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yodrum’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yodrum’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Bogota, Colombia during the summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the cut flowers, day temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 9° C. and light levels ranged from 3,000 to 4,000 footcandles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. The photographs and measurements were taken when plants were about two months old from planting.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yodrum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number R834, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1092, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About ten to 14 days with soil             temperatures of about 18° C. to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut flower.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             101 cm. Spray diameter: About 11.25 cm. Stem diameter: About             7 mm. Internode length: About 4 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: 147B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 8.9 cm. Width: About 5.3 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed; irregularly serrate;             sinuses parallel to slightly divergent. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent; veins prominent on lower surface.             Color: Developing foliage, upper surface: 147A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: Slightly lighter than 147A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147C. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C.             Petiole: Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum. Uniform flowering habit.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to two weeks             of long day/short night conditions after planting followed             by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower             about 59 days later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about 12             to 13 inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6 cm to 7 cm. Depth             (height): About 2.8 cm. Disc diameter: About 3 mm.             Receptacle diameter: About 2.2 cm. Receptacle height: About             8 mm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Ovoid. Height: About 1.8 cm.             Diameter: About 1.8 cm. Color: 164B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong to ligulate and             occasionally quilled. Surface: Concave. Aspect: Initially             incurved, with development, about 45° to 55° from vertical.             Length: About 3.2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Apex: Emarginate.             Base: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; velvety;             longitudinally ridged. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 208 arranged in about 20 whorls. Color:             When opening, upper surface: 171A. When opening, lower             surface: 173C. Fully opened, upper surface: 168A to 168B;             color becoming closer to 167A with development. Fully             opened, lower surface: 162B; color becoming tinted with 167C             with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 4 mm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 26; inconspicuous. Color: Apex: Close             to 145A. Mid-section: Close to 145C. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence/arrangement: About 24             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 7 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 148A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 150A. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 150B. Ovary color: Close to 157A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 4° C. and     high temperatures of about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yodrum’ as illustrated and described. 